1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image generation system for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, an image display system for displaying the image generated in the image generation system, a computer-readable record medium recording an image generation program for generating the image, and an image generation method for generating the image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In computer graphics, particularly, in real-time computer graphics (or real-time CG) for enabling the operator to move the viewpoint freely and smoothly as he or she intends, a method of really representing an object such as a human being having curved surface portions and motion is demanded. A virtual object in the real-time CG is displayed by combining plane polygons called polygons three-dimensionally and giving color to or putting a photo on the polygons. Motion can be given to the virtual object by changing the geometric shape and position of each polygon.
Generally, an artificial object such as a machine can be really displayed with several ten to several thousand polygons. However, for objects having a large number of curved surface portions such as human beings and animals and plants, polygons must approximate each curved face portion, thus a number of polygons exceeding several hundreds of thousands of polygons become necessary for producing real display. However, the greater the number of polygons, the larger the computation load on a computer. Thus, to operate the real-time CG using a general-purpose computer widespread up to now, the number of polygons must be reduced to about several thousands. Thus, human beings, animals, plants, etc., cannot really be displayed on a general-purpose computer; this is a problem. Several arts intended for resolving the problem have been disclosed so far.
For example, JP-A-10-222629 describes a method of displaying a motion human figure, etc., in virtual three dimensions created by real-time CG. According to the method, to display a human figure, the human figure is not formed of polygons and animation data created from an actual video or computer graphics is used. The method is as follows: First, animation data for viewing an object from six directions of up and down, back and forth, and left and right is provided. Next, a rectangular parallelepiped made up of six rectangular polygons is placed at a position where the object should exist in the virtual three dimensions. Next, a polygon having a normal vector nearest to the direction of the line extended to the object from a virtual viewpoint in the virtual three dimensions is selected out of the six polygons. Subsequently, only the selected polygon is placed in a visible state and the provided animation data is projected. At this time, if the selected plane (polygon) is front, animation data for viewing the object from the forth direction is selected and projected. According to the method, the real animation data of the object is projected on any polygon and real-time CG of the object is generated, whereby the object can be really displayed without increasing the number of polygons. A motion object can also be displayed.
For example, JP-A-10-222696 describes a method of displaying the internal structure of a complicated human body, etc., in real-time CG. According to the method, to display the internal structure of a human body, etc., the internal structure of the human body is not formed of polygons and an image created from a photo or computer graphics is used. The method is as follows: First, a collection of image data for viewing an object from a plurality of directions such as up and down, back and forth, and left and right with the object as the center is provided. Next, one rectangular polygon is placed at a position where the object should exist in virtual three dimensions so as to always face the front relative to the virtual viewpoint in the virtual three dimensions. Next, image data for viewing the object from the nearest direction to the object viewing direction from the virtual viewpoint is selected out of the provided image data. Subsequently, the selected image data is projected on the above-mentioned polygon Using the method, the real animation data of the object is projected on the polygon and real-time CG of the object is generated, whereby the object can be really displayed without increasing the number of polygons.
In the related arts, however, the provided animation data and image data need to be stored in storage means. Thus, if the information amount of the animation data or the image data is enormous, it is impossible to generate an image in the real-time CG on a general-purpose computer with a small storage capacity widespread up to now; this is a problem. For example, to display a virtual object more smoothly, more freely, and more really in response to a viewpoint move intended by the operator, the information amount of the animation data or the image data needs to be increased in response to the degree. Since the current general-purpose computer with a small storage capacity cannot store an enormous amount of information, an image cannot be generated.
Since the data to be projected on the polygon is selected out of the provided animation data or image data, an image can be generated only in the range of the storage contents; this is a problem.
An image when the virtual viewpoint for the object placed at a predetermined position in the virtual three dimensions is changed by the operator""s will is generated and displayed, and an image when the position or orientation of the virtual object itself is changed by the operator""s will cannot be generated; this is a problem.
It is therefore an object of the invention to generate an image capable of really displaying the object of a human being, an animal, a plant, etc., having curved surface portions and motion and display the image even with a general-purpose computer having a small storage capacity.
It is another object of the invention to generate an image capable of really displaying the object of a human being, etc., having curved surface portions and motion and display the image without previously creating animation data or image data and without storing the data in a general-purpose computer.
It is another object of the invention to generate an image when the position or the orientation of a virtual object is changed by the operator""s will and display the image.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an image generation system for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the image generation system comprising an image generation apparatus having viewpoint definition means for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, virtual panel definition means for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions and defining a virtual panel being placed in the virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel onto which a moving image is projected, based on the virtual viewpoint and the virtual object, moving image selection means for selecting a moving image to be projected onto the virtual panel from among a plurality of moving images based on the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means, and virtual three-dimensional image generation means for placing the virtual panel defined in the virtual panel definition means in the virtual three dimensions, projecting the moving image selected by the moving image selection means onto the virtual panel, and generating an image from the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means, and a moving image output apparatus for outputting the plurality of moving images to the image generation apparatus.
In the image generation system according to the invention, the moving image selection means selects the moving image to be projected onto the virtual panel from among a plurality of moving images based on the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means and the virtual object defined in the virtual panel definition means.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image generation system for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the image generation system comprising an image generation apparatus having viewpoint definition means for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, virtual panel definition means for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions and defining a virtual panel being placed in the virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel onto which a moving image is projected, based on the virtual viewpoint and the virtual object, and virtual three-dimensional image generation means for placing the virtual panel defined in the virtual panel definition means in the virtual three dimensions, projecting a moving image onto the virtual panel, and generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics from the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means, and a moving image output apparatus for outputting the moving image to be projected onto the virtual panel based on the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means.
In the image generation system according to the invention, the moving image output apparatus outputs the moving image to be projected onto the virtual panel based on the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means and the virtual object defined in the virtual panel definition means.
In the image generation system according to the invention, the viewpoint definition means can change the definition of the virtual viewpoint.
In the image generation system according to the invention, the virtual panel definition means can change the definition of the virtual object.
In the image generation system according to the invention, the moving image output apparatus is a moving image photograph apparatus comprising an enclosure being placed around a photograph subject and filled in with one color and a video camera being placed around the photograph subject for outputting a moving image provided by photographing the photograph subject.
The image generation system according to the invention further includes definition range control means in which the type of moving image output from the moving image output apparatus is previously entered, the definition range control means being responsive to the type of moving image for controlling the definition range of the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means or the virtual object defined in the virtual panel definition means.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image generation system for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the image generation system comprising viewpoint definition means for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, object definition means for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions, virtual three-dimensional image generation means for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics from the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means, a moving image output apparatus for outputting a moving image based on the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means, and image combining means for generating a composite image into which the image generated in the virtual three-dimensional image generation means and the moving image output from the moving image output apparatus are combined.
In the image generation system according to the invention, the moving image output apparatus generates the moving image based on the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition means and the virtual object defined in the object definition means.
In the image generation system according to the invention, the viewpoint definition means can change the definition of the virtual viewpoint.
In the image generation system according to the invention, the object definition means can change the definition of the virtual object.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image display system comprising the above-described image generation system for generating a virtual three-dimensional image for a right eye and a virtual three-dimensional image for a left eye, and a display for producing display so that the virtual three-dimensional image for the right eye generated by the image generation system is visible with a right eye and the virtual three-dimensional image for the left eye generated by the image generation system is visible with a left eye at the same time.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable record medium recording an image generation program for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the program for executing viewpoint definition step for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, virtual panel definition step for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions and defining a virtual panel being placed in the virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel onto which a moving image is projected, based on the virtual viewpoint and the virtual object, moving image selection step for selecting a moving image to be projected onto the virtual panel from among a plurality of moving images output from a moving image output apparatus for outputting the plurality of moving images based on the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step, and virtual three-dimensional image generation step for placing the virtual panel defined at the virtual panel definition step in the virtual three dimensions, projecting the moving image selected at the moving image selection step onto the virtual panel, and generating an image from the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable record medium recording an image generation program for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the program for executing viewpoint definition step for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, virtual panel definition step for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions and defining a virtual panel being placed in the virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel onto which a moving image is projected, based on the virtual viewpoint and the virtual object, and virtual three-dimensional image generation step for placing the virtual panel defined at the virtual panel definition step in the virtual three dimensions, projecting a moving image output from a moving image output apparatus based on the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step onto the virtual panel, and generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics from the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable record medium recording an image generation program for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the program for executing viewpoint definition step for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, object definition step for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions, virtual three-dimensional image generation step for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics from the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition step, and image combining step for generating a composite image into which the image generated at the virtual three-dimensional image generation step and the moving image output from a moving image output apparatus based on the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step are combined.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image generation method for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the image generation method comprising the viewpoint definition step for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel definition step for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions and defining a virtual panel being placed in the virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel onto which a moving image is projected, based on the virtual viewpoint and the virtual object, the moving image selection step for selecting a moving image to be projected onto the virtual panel from among a plurality of moving images output from a moving image output apparatus for outputting the plurality of moving images based on the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step, and the virtual three-dimensional image generation step for placing the virtual panel defined at the virtual panel definition step in the virtual three dimensions, projecting the moving image selected at the moving image selection step onto the virtual panel, and generating an image from the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image generation method for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the image generation method comprising the viewpoint definition step for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel definition step for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions and defining a virtual panel being placed in the virtual three dimensions, the virtual panel onto which a moving image is projected, based on the virtual viewpoint and the virtual object, and the virtual three-dimensional image generation step for placing the virtual panel defined at the virtual panel definition step in the virtual three dimensions, projecting a moving image output from a moving image output apparatus based on the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step onto the virtual panel, and generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics from the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an image generation method for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics, the image generation method comprising the viewpoint definition step for defining a virtual viewpoint placed in virtual three dimensions, the object definition step for defining a virtual object displayed in the virtual three dimensions, the virtual three-dimensional image generation step for generating a virtual three-dimensional image based on computer graphics from the virtual viewpoint defined in the viewpoint definition step, and the image combining step for generating a composite image into which the image generated at the virtual three-dimensional image generation step and the moving image output from a moving image output apparatus based on the virtual viewpoint defined at the viewpoint definition step are combined.